Soft Light and Shadows
by IMBSA
Summary: A new case is on the STNJ's hands: a witch was killed after attacking a seemingly harmless young woman. With no apparent cause of death, the case gets handed over to the STN. Who is this woman, and what connection does she have to an old gang?
1. Prolouge

Soft Light and Shadows

Prologue

by: IMBSA

IMBSA: Hello, hello! Um, this is a fanfic I based off two episodes of "The X-Files" (you know they watched that before making WHR ), so I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing/no one other than Valerie Brooks, Jack Brooks, Damien Manson, Julia Manson, Miyagi Kenichi, and the Fallen. And I know there's supposed to be this "prologue" in the beginning, but I'm too tired to think one up.

It was dark and quiet, as all apartments were at midnight. But moonlight streamed in via an open window, an uncommon occurrence, especially since the occupant was not there. The wind, surprisingly gentle, pushed the gauzy white curtain away from the window to curl mysteriously in and around itself. The sounds of the tenant were heard for the first time in over 3 hours. They manifested themselves: light footsteps; the clinking of keys against each other; a selected key placed in the lock; tumblers falling into place. The door swung open to admit the slight woman silhouetted in the doorway.

She reached in and flicked the light switch, flooding the room with soft, glowing light. Or would have, had the power not been cut. The woman flicked the switch up and down a couple of times after failing to get a response from her lights, a look of bewildered disbelief on her face. She had frowned and turned to go back down the stairs when two hands grabbed her roughly by her arms. That was his first of many mistakes.

It was dark and quiet at first. Then the silence was broken for five minutes by a shriek of "No!" in a woman's voice and the sound of smashing glass. Quietness was restored for a full 10 seconds before being shattered again by the sounds of something heavy colliding with a car and the vehicle's piercing alarm as the object smashed the roof of the vehicle below.

IMBSA: This is not going to be a really "action packed" fic. It's more mind boggling ( at least, it was to my mom). Well, R & R! (And please be nice.)


	2. Parts of the Process

Soft Light and Shadows

Chapter 1: Parts of the Process

by: IMBSA

IMBSA: Yay! New chappie! ::smiles::

Disclaimer: I don't own this. Please don't claim that I do, thus earning my eternal enmity.

A picture of a rough looking man flashed onto the screen in the STN-J briefing room. "Miyagi Kenichi, age 31, and a witch descendent." Amon began, gesturing to the picture. "He was found dead this morning around midnight. Miyagi was thrown out of the third story apartment shown here." An unassuming, middle class apartment complex appeared on the screen. The out side was beige and black steel fire escapes lined the walls. A window above one of the third story escapes was circled in red, but that wasn't the weirdest part. The window had been broken completely. Not a pane of glass was left in the frame. "Directly below the circled window, Miyagi was found on top of a car he crushed by falling on it. The damage to his body seemed to be only caused by the car, but forensics place his death to be at least two minutes prior to his collision with the vehicle. Moreover, there seems to be no cause of death. He is in perfect health."

"Yeah, if you forget the fact that he's _dead_." Sakaki said.

Ignoring him, Karasuma asked, "Any witnesses?"

"One," Amon replied. "A Ms. Valerie Brooks. She claims that he was waiting for and assaulted her in her apartment. She was knocked down and blacked out. Ms. Brooks awoke to find the broken window and no sign of her attacker. She also claims that she never saw his face."

"Uh-huh. _Sure_." Sakaki replied in a skeptical tone.

"It's perfectly understandable." Dojima chided him. "She was probably scared."

"Do they believe her?" Robin asked.

"So they say." Amon replied. "But the police have turned the case over to us nonetheless. She was the last person to see Miyagi alive, so she is the prime suspect."

"Does she have any roommates?" Dojima inquired.

"No." Amon answered her. "She lives there alone."

"Yeah, and we all know what happened after she 'blacked out'." Sakaki added, reiterating his dubious opinion.

"Will you stop that?" Dojima hissed, shooting a venomous look in his direction. "_She_ was the one who got attacked first!"

"True," Amon responded, cutting the argument off before it got nasty. "But we need to keep all possibilities open."

"Besides," Michael added, "Sakaki's view may not be that far from the truth. We've had our fair share of appearances deceiving."

"I can't believe you guys," a disgruntled Dojima muttered, crossing her arms and pouting. As if that had ever gotten her anything with the team.

"Michael, get on your databases and find what you can on Valerie Brooks. See what connection, if any, there is between Miyagi and her." Amon began, getting into his role of de-facto leader. "Karasuma, Sakaki, go and talk to Ms. Brooks. She's at the Memorial Hospital for a concussion, in addition to minor lacerations, and abrasions. She wasn't harmed in any other way. Stop by her apartment as well and see what you can find. Dojima, Robin, you're coming with me to see the body."

Karasuma and Sakaki decided to visit the crime scene first, to get a better understanding of what went on and so they would be able to visualize the setting. After bypassing the guards and the usual crime scene yellow tape, they set to looking around, stepping over a few stray pieces of glass. Sakaki paused in front of the former window, a breeze stirring his hair.

"Jeez. The window's...really gone. It's just..._gone_." Sakaki remarked in disbelief. Indeed, there was just a hole where the window and its sill would be. Not one part of the window remained.

"One of the reasons it was handed to us." Karasuma replied as she walked around, looking at everything, touching a few trinkets here and there. Most felt happy. The sound of a cat mewing startled the two of them. Sakaki looked down and saw a black cat rubbing itself on his jeans.

He made a noise of disdain and muttered, "Get away from me, cat," as he saw the tufts of fur it left on his Levis.

"I think it likes you." Karasuma quipped with a smile.

"Yeah, well, I don't want it to like me! Do you know how hard it'll be to get this off?!"

"It's a sweet cat." Karasuma replied, kneeling down to pet it and scratched the scruff of its neck. The cat purred in delight. Deciding to get back to work after petting the cat a couple of times, she scratched the scruff of the cat's neck one last time before standing back up, continuing her rounds. She halted in front of a picture. It was a pleasant summer photo; two teenagers, one a dark haired boy and the other probably a younger Valerie smiled at the camera, both dripping wet. Picking it up, Karasuma was immediately assaulted by many mixed emotions: first happiness, and then a deep despair. Then came disbelief, anger, and finally an overwhelming desire to protect. Stumbling at the overload of her senses, Karasuma almost dropped the picture. Finally righting herself, she turned to Sakaki, who was still trying to rid himself of the cat.

Sakaki noticed her looking at him and asked, "What?" Wordlessly, she held up the picture.

IMBSA: Thanks to the big 1 person who reviewed. o.O Yeah. I can tell I am so loved. ::sighs:: Ah well. Thanks for reviewing, AnimeReviewer790! I love you! (Not that way!!!)


	3. Paper Flowers

Soft Light and Shadows

Chapter 2: Paper Flowers

by: IMBSA

IMBSA: I'm so happy you like it!!! ::smiley face::

Disclaimer: "Some people are like slinkies: not really good for anything, but you can't help laughing when you push them down the stairs."

"Eew!" Doujima squealed, jumping backwards as Amon uncovered the body. It was Miyagi, all right, but a very dead and shattered Miyagi. Amon and Robin didn't seem very perturbed by it, as though dead corpses were everyday occurrences in their job, which, in actuality, was true.

"You're right Amon." Robin said, reaching a gloved hand out to touch it, which Amon, surprisingly enough, didn't object to. "He's in perfect health."

"For a dead guy." Dojima added, overcoming her disgust.

"Yes." Amon replied. "He is."

"What's this?" Robin asked, tracing a design etched into the side Miyagi's neck.

"It looks like a tattoo." Dojima responded. It was a simple enough design, a bleeding white rose impaled on a dagger, but there was something ominous about it.

"That's interesting. I don't remember reading about him having a tattoo." Amon replied. "What do you know about roses?"

"A white rose represents purity and innocence." Robin answered. "You can even go on to say that it stands for girlhood." Amon and Dojima looked at her. Robin shrugged. "We had to know that at the convent."

"_Girlhood_? _Innocence_?! What _straight_ guy would get a tattoo of a _rose_?" When the other two ignored her, she said, "Well, I don't think there's anything else we can find out from him." Dojima was getting seriously freaked out (A/N: Who wouldn't? They're in a friggin' _morgue_!) and desperately wanted to leave.

"I agree." Amon said. He and Dojima began walking away, but Robin stayed where she was. There was something about that tattoo that struck a chord in her, but she couldn't tell what. "Robin?" Amon's voice shook her out of her reverie.

"I'm coming." She said, walking after the other two.

"Michael." Amon said, directly after entering the Headquarters. "Did you find anything on Valerie Brooks?"

"Nope, not a shred. I mean there's the usual stuff--occupation, where she lives, stuff like that. But nothing about her family or any personal information. There's a birth date, but not much else."

"What about Miyagi?" Michael typed a bit more.

"Uh, he's a witch descendent who's been living on the streets for awhile. He used to be in a gang of hoodlums called The Fallen, but most of them have been killed or imprisoned. He backed out before the gang's collapse."

"Look into the gang." More typing.

Then, "Uh, like I said, it's called The Fallen, but they were powerful in most of the city until about three years ago. They would kidnap people off the streets and tattoo them with a rose of the colors white, red, black, and pink. Then they'd let them go. No other injury, if you could call it that, excepting the tattoo, came to them. At that point at least. No ransom notes either. Not able to tell anything about their kidnappers or what they did because The Fallen used some kind of harmless tranquilizer, there was nothing to report. Two weeks later, the former captive would be dead. It says here that the tattoo was a marking and whoever was tattooed with one would be killed by the gang member with the corresponding tattoo. It was a game--of sorts."

"A _game_? Who plays games with roses? Sounds _stupid_, the rose being a sign that you're marked for _death_." Dojima remarked.

"Like the tattoo we saw on Miyagi's body." Robin murmured, used to ignoring such comments from the girl. Michael looked up.

"What?" He asked.

"Miyagi's body had a tattoo, a white rose that was bleeding and impaled by a knife."

"Something like that. Except the tattoo on the victim would be just the flower, not bleeding or stabbed. Miyagi was best buds with the Black Rose, one Damien Manson. Then someone ratted out the gang and left Miyagi as the only alive and free member."

"Look up 'Damien Manson'." Amon directed. His answer was the sound of typing.

"The Black Rose, yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh. He was a witch descendent and was killed around the time of the collapse of the gang. His power was the ability to turn his body into a shadow and become quasi-tangible. He also backed out early to take care of his half-sister, Julia, but was killed a month after."

"Anything else?"

"Nope." Amon opened his mouth, but Michael cut him off. "The sister disappeared that night as well and is presumed dead. Anything else while I'm up?"

Valerie was sitting up in her hospital bed, bandaged arms resting on her lap when Karasuma and Sakaki came in. Her face was turned away from them as she was looking out the window. "Ms. Brooks? " Valerie turned to them. She had shoulder length blonde hair and wide green eyes.

"Yes?"

"I'm Karasuma Miho, and this is Sakaki Haruto. We work for STN-J and the police have turned this case over to us. We just have some questions for you."

"Of course," she replied, a bright albeit nervous smile gracing her features.

After they had sat down in the two chairs provided by the hospital, Valerie divulged to them, "I've already told the police everything I know."

"We understand, Ms. Brooks." Karasuma replied. "But would you be so kind as to tell _us_ what happened this morning?" She nudged Sakaki and, with a look, warned him not to interrupt.

"No problem. It was a normal day." Valerie started. "I woke up yesterday morning to get ready for my shift at the local bookstore. The day went on without anything out of the ordinary happening. When my shift was over, I went grocery shopping and came back around midnight."

"Didn't you notice anything strange when you first pulled up?" Sakaki asked, ignoring Karasuma.

"No, nothing at all. You see, I enter on the other side of the building, so I can't see my apartment from there. I came in and found the power was switched off, so I turned to go and ask the landlord what had happened. I wasn't late on the rent, so I didn't know why it would be off. As I turned, a man grabbed me from behind and pulled me into the apartment. We struggled for a bit, crashing into things and such. Finally, my head struck something--I don't know what--and I blanked out. Anything after that is a mystery."

"And you've never seen that guy before, right?" Sakaki asked.

"Right." Valerie affirmed with a nod of her head. A slight silence settled over the three.

"Oh, I met your cat." Sakaki mentioned. "Or rather, _it_ met me."

"Shini? How is she?" Valerie sat up straight, her face seeming to transform into a state of joy. She clearly _loved_ her cat.

"Just fine. Karasuma thinks it likes me."

"She likes everyone who'll even look at her. She's such an adorable cat. She usually likes to greet me at the door."

"Speaking of which, where was she when you were attacked, if she's so loyal?"

"I expect she knew something was wrong. I believe that animals have some type of ability to sense danger. It's the same sense that alerts them to the presence of spirits."

"Ms. Brooks--"Karasuma began.

"Please, call me Val." She replied, smiling.

"Val, who's the boy in the picture on the mantle? The one with you and him? It's summer in the photo and the two of you are wet, like you just came back from swimming." Valerie's smile suddenly went a bit stiff. She slumped heavily in her bed, looking very sad. Karasuma and Sakaki immediately went to her side.

"That's my brother." When Val spoke, her voice was suddenly tired and it sounded like she was going to cry in spite of her cheery mood moments ago. "He--he died a few years ago from cancer. It was too late for them to do anything when they found out; the tumor was too large."

"I'm sorry." Karasuma said, putting a hand on her arm, intending to calm her. She was again overcome with emotions that were not her own. When she surfaced again, she gave Sakaki a meaningful look.

"It's ok. I just get so weepy all of sudden when I think of that photo sometimes."

"I'm truly sorry." Karasuma repeated.

"How were you to know?" Val sniffed. "I hate to say this, but you're going to have to cut the visit short."

"We understand. Thank you for being kind enough to answer our questions."

"Oh, thank _you_. At least someone's trying to get things done." They began to leave. As she lifted her arm to wave good-bye, part of the sleeve of her dark blue and white polka-dotted gown fell, revealing a small tattoo of a white rose on her upper arm.

IMBSA: Dun dun dun. Heh heh. Anyway, that's the chappie! Oh, and I have replies to the reviewers.

**AlyssC01**: Thanks. Patience was never my strong point. Damn that rap music! (Not that I'm knocking it or anything....) It was no problem using Karasuma; I think that she and Sakaki didn't get enough screen time in the series. Especially Sakaki. So most of what I write will probably have many Sakaki and Karasuma parts. And if you think that what I wrote had a big Karasuma part, get ready. This fic mostly centers around the two of them and Valerie.

**AnimeReviewer790**: I have some anime patches for you. Lots of them. If you don't know what those are, well, they're like nicotine patches, but for otakus (I spelt that right, right?). The reason I have them....Well, let's just say my friends and/or family got a bit "worried" about my "anime problem." As a last resort (after the electric cattle prods and straitjackets), they would slap those babies on me and I (supposedly) became less obsessed with anime. Needless to say they don't work. On me, at least. And it's ok about the reviews. See! Someone else reviewed!!!! ::points to top of the page:: Oh and I usually write the story beforehand so I can update every night. (Such is not the case with "Vacation Time, Please", however.) But I'm working on it!!!!!!

Thanks to you guys! Thanks for the encouragement!!!!!


	4. Nowhere Kids

Soft Light and Shadows

Chapter 3: Nowhere Kids

by: IMBSA

IMBSA: Next chappie! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: "The cat is not trying to steal my soul while I sleep. The cat is not trying to steal my soul while I sleep. The cat is not trying to – Ahhh! Away! Get away from me you minion of Satan!!"

"Karasuma, Sakaki, your report first." Amon ordered. Karasuma cleared her throat.

"We went the scene of the crime first and found a couple of odd things." She began.

"It was a hole in the wall." Sakaki spoke up, uninvitedly. Everyone stared at him in confusion. "The window, I mean. And it's damn big hole too. You should see it. It's about this big." He held up his hands far from each other.

Karasuma gave him a look and said, "The window was severely damaged to the point of nonexistence—"

"It's huge! I swear!" Sakaki burst out.

"Will you stop about the hole already?" Karasuma asked in annoyance.

Again impeding what promised to be an ugly fight for the second time that day, Amon asked, "What else did you find?"

"She has a cat," Sakaki replied quickly before Karasuma had even opened her mouth. "And a furry one at that too." He said absent-mindedly as he stroked himself to get the remaining cat hair off. Karasuma ignored him and instead answered Amon.

"A picture. It was of Val—I mean, Ms. Brooks and her brother, who died of cancer a few years ago. She was very distraught over it. I got varied feelings when I touched it. At the time of the picture she was very happy, but later, I'm assuming when her brother died, she was crushingly depressed. Then it became disbelieving, afterwards, infuriated, and then, peculiarly enough, there came this overwhelming need to protect."

"Hmm. Interesting." Amon said.

"She has a tattoo, which surprised me because she doesn't seem to really be the tattoo type." Sakaki added, and suddenly there was an unusual amount of attention focused on his comment. Sakaki felt good, as well as surprised; it was one of the only times he felt he contributed to the case.

"What kind of tattoo was it?" Amon asked.

"A white rose. I think it fit her, actually. Why?"

Michael snapped his fingers and said, "That's why Miyagi was at her apartment. She was his last hit."

"Excuse me?" Karasuma asked, confused. The others wasted no time in informing the two about The Fallen.

"So we should find out where she got the tattoo." Sakaki suggested, feeling like he was on a roll.

"Duh, she was kidnapped and they branded her," Dojima shot him down yet again.

"But we'd have to hear it from her mouth, otherwise it's just speculation." Sakaki persisted.

"He has a point." Amon confirmed. "Karasuma, you and Sakaki pay a visit to Ms. Brooks again and ask her about the tattoo." He paused, then added, "See what you can find out about her brother."

"Another thing, I reached over and touched her arm after mentioning the picture. Her thoughts were rather...confusing. She was truly sad, but a sense of urgency and panic was present as well. I think she was trying to hide something about her brother."

Karasuma and Sakaki were getting into the car when a thought occurred to Sakaki. "Could we stop by her apartment first?"

IMBSA: Short, yes I know. Sorry! ::cringes::

**AlyssC01**: I thank you for your continuing readership (Is that a word?) and advice. Um, the episode I really based it off of was "Shadows" in season 1. I SORT of based it off "Soft Light" as well. (In case the title wasn't a dead giveaway.) I just took the whole "shadow" thing and put it in a slightly different situation.

**Julie**: Why don't you wait and find out?

**Trogdoor**: Thank you for, ah, "holding off from burninating" my fic. (I like that word by the way.) Sorry about the mid-fic notes. I just feel that they won't make sense unless I put them right after what I'm commentating on. 'Course I should probably add that you guys aren't here for the commentary; you're here for the fic.

And those patiently waiting for the next chapter of "Vacation Time, Please".... You're gonna wait some more. I'm sorry, it's just that the fic was intended to be a one-shot, but since people like it, I'm kind of pressured to write the rest of it. So RIGHT NOW I'm writing on it. I'll get it to you as soon as I can. Understand that (as hard as it may be to believe) I have a life outside of fanfics (GASP), as I'm sure you guys do as well, so I can't spend the type of time I'd like to on writing. Well, anyway, my point is, I WILL get it up. My muse Euterpe has to get back from vacation. :: to Euterpe:: Come on, dammit! I gave you time a few days ago!!!!!!!!


	5. Twilight

Soft Light and Shadows

Chapter 4: Twilight

by: IMBSA

IMBSA: Sorry for the delay. See, it's all Frances's fault. Our Internet was down for a while so I couldn't get it up. Damn you Frances, damn you!!!

Disclaimer: "I don't trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die."

IMBSA: And if you could see the twist coming a mile away, sorry to disappoint you.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visiting hours were close to being over as they pulled up to the hospital. Sakaki and Karasuma had to hurriedly leave the parking lot and get to Val's room to see her before the hospital barred them. But that was not without a struggle.

"I can't believe we're doing this. You know it's against the hospital rules to--"Karasuma began, but Sakaki cut her off.

"Look, d'you want this information or not? You want to carry the box, then go ahead, be my guest. But if you don't, remember whose arm is getting close to being clawed off."

"She barely even scratched you!" The two rushed to Val's room. As they entered the room, Valerie looked up from a book. Her face cracked into a smile.

"Ms. Karasuma! Mr. Sakaki! So glad to see you. How are you?" She asked, genuinely interested. Before they could answer, a shockingly familiar mew emanated from the closed box in Sakaki's arms. Slightly frozen in her jubilated astonishment, Valerie stared at the box. Smiling in spite of everything, Sakaki opened the box to reveal a slightly travel-worn Shini. As Valerie shakily reached out for her, Shini jumped from the box and into Val's waiting arms. Immediately, the cat began purring as Valerie lovingly stroked her companion. The look of contentment was evident on both the cat and her owner's faces.

After leaving the two in their blissful moment, Karasuma began gently, "I know this may be hard for you, but we need to know more about your tattoo." Val's hands stopped stroking Shini and slowly gathered her cat into themselves tighter. She sat still and her eyes took on a faraway look. Sakaki was nervous that the question would not be answered as he shot Karasuma an anxious look.

Finally, Valerie spoke. "It was about four years ago on my brother's birthday. I was looking for a last minute present at the store when I felt a sting on my neck. I touched the nape of my neck and pulled out a small dart. Everything went fuzzy and I felt myself fall into the arms of a stranger.

"When I woke up, I felt another needle piercing the skin on my arm. I dared not move, but I opened my eyes slightly....All I saw was a bright light, but I heard voices. One of them sounded familiar. Quite familiar, actually. But the pain of the needle was getting to me and I fell unconscious yet again. The last thing I remember was a cry of rage and betrayal that said, 'Not her, you know she should not be marked!'

"I awoke fully on the couch in my brother's house. Our parents were there as well and he said that he had found me on his doorstep. They were all so worried about me. My brother said he had quit his job to make sure I would be fine; to watch over me like good big brothers are supposed to do." Val looked up at the two agents. "That's the whole of it."

"What was your brother's name?" Karasuma asked, as kindly as she could.

"Jack." Val replied after a pause. "Jack Brooks."

"And, what do you know about Jack and The Fallen?"

Valerie was spared to reply as Shini suddenly arched her back, hissing as she faced the window. Val cried out as her claws dug in to her legs through the hospital gown.

"What the--"Sakaki asked, staring at Shini.

"I...don't know." Valerie grunted as she dislodged her cat's claws from her legs. "Stop it, you hear me?" Val asked, looking her cat in the eye. "Stop it." She repeated. However, Shini refused to heed her and continued her alarming actions. "Come on Shini! What's the matter with you? There's nothing outside that window." A nurse came in and Val hurriedly slipped Shini beneath the covers on her bed. Thankfully, the cat had stopped hissing, as though sensing that she needed to be quiet while the nurse was in the room.

"How are we doing, Ms. Brooks?" The nurse asked, bustling in with a tray of hospital food.

"Just fine, Mary." Valerie replied.

"Good, good," the woman responded. "It's time for dinner now." She turned to Karasuma and Sakaki. "I'm afraid visiting hours are about to be over."

"Oh, ok, then. We'll go." Karasuma said. "Bye, Val. We'll see you."

As the two of them went down the elevator, Karasuma got on the phone to Michael. "Hey, Michael, could you run a search on 'Jack Brooks'?"

"Sure." There was a pause and the sound of typing. "Nothing much here. A birth date and a death date, but nothing much more about that."

"That's not very helpful."

"No, it isn't. Hmm, a thought just occurred to me. Hold on a second." A pause. More typing. "Ok, get this. I ran Jack Brooks's birth date into the database and guess who shared his birth date."

"Surprise me."

"Damien Manson. And guess who shares a birthday with Julia Manson, his half-sister."

"Valerie?"

"Right in one."

"You know this could be just a coincidence, right?"

"Aha, but I found a record in the government's database. Julia Manson supposedly disappeared the night her brother died, but she didn't. The government changed her name. To--"

"Valerie Brooks?"

"Yep. And you'll never believe this. Miyagi's been trying to resurrect The Fallen. He's got about 50 recruits already."

"Oh my God. Are the others on the way?"

"They just left."

"He's my God too, Karasuma." Sakaki burst out as soon as she was off the phone. "What was that about?" Karasuma filled him in. When he heard that Julia Manson and Valerie Brooks were one and the same person, his eyes went wide and he exclaimed, "No way! That girl upstairs is the sister of one of the same guys who were trying to kill her?!"

"It's all beginning to fall into place." The elevator stopped at the first floor and Karasuma and Sakaki rushed out, only to turn and begin running up the stairs. Karasuma explained along the way. "Her brother thought she was safe because he was in the gang himself and thought that The Fallen would never choose one of their own flesh and blood. So when they kidnapped Julia, he felt betrayed and took her from them. Remember when Val said she heard a cry of rage and there was voice that sounded familiar? That was her brother."

"But Damien was a witch's descendent. How can Val not be?"

"Under neither of her aliases was Val a witch.... Damien...." She looked up. "They were half-siblings! Damien had a parent who was a witch and Julia didn't."

"That still doesn't explain how Miyagi died, though." By this time they had reached the third floor landing and were about to go into the corridor when they heard a shriek of terror.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMBSA: Dun dun dun. Has the Fallen gotten to Valerie, I mean, Julia? You'll just have to wait and see!

**Animated Flowers**: Sorry you had to wait so long, but here it is!

**AnimeReviewer790**: Because you're such a good friend, I'll give the rest to you free of charge. But if you want some more, they're gonna cost $466,666,000,000,000,000. Or your first-born child. Whichever is easiest to part with. Anyway, thanks for relieving me of the guilt I seem to be feeling about "Vacation Time, Please". Don't worry, we ARE writing it. It's just that Euterpe's flight got delayed due to Frances. It's all that hurricane's damned fault. Oh, and think nothing of the "pressuring". I need someone to light a fire under my ass or else nothing seems to get done. So in a way you're helping me.

**AlyssC01: **Ah yes, my favorite reviewer (don't worry guys, I'm not forgetting about you either). Well, I just wanted to acknowledge that my readers (pardon the possessive term. I know you're not just mine) might be a bit disappointed by the length. Failure to do so might result in flames for what might be seen as "rudeness". I try to please everyone as much as I can, unless they give me a reason to hate them.

So, thanks for reading. This story should be done in a couple of chapters or so.


	6. The Outsider

Soft Light and Shadows

Chapter 5: The Outsider

by: IMBSA

IMBSA: Sorry for the delay. Damn, it's been a while. Oh yes, and if you wanted to know, I _did_ plan that out. I knew I was probably going to get on restriction, so I uploaded the chappie with the MAJOR cliffhanger before my impromptu disappearance. Those are probably gonna happen a LOT.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shortly after the two STN-J agents had left, Valerie had two surprise visitors. Mary, the nurse, had finished feeding her (the woman had insisted that Valerie not do anything that could exert her) and had left before Shini started hissing again. The cat climbed on top of the covers, facing the window. Valerie heard a noise and her eyes widened; she swung herself around to look at the casement. Two teenagers dressed in black appeared, one with his hand extended. The other boy had piano wire wrapped around his hand. They both were looking at her with expressions of utter hatred. Shini continued hissing violently. Knowing instinctively who they were and what they wanted, Valerie screeched in terror, launching herself out of the hospital bed, and onto the floor. Pushing herself up, she tried to run out of the room, knocking into the IV and sending it crashing to the ground. But as she reached the door, two arms encircled her waist and neck, squeezing. Valerie screamed again, trying to free herself. The door flew open and Valerie found herself on the tiled floor. Crawling into the corner, she huddled, closing her eyes to what she knew was happening to her attackers.

------

Two of the hospital orderlies, after hearing the screaming and crashing, ran into the room with Karasuma and Sakaki at their heels. What greeted the four pairs of eyes was a truly unexplainable sight. Valerie was hunched down in the corner, moaning softly while hiding her face from what could only be described as a solid shadow passing through an invader --obviously one of The Fallen's new members--and the boy plunging down, dead. As they watched, the shadow stopped short from the other assailant and vanished.

-----

The orderlies checked over Valerie as Sakaki and Karasuma explained everything to the rest of the team. Robin listened with her head cocked to the side as she stroked Shini absent-mindedly. The cat had been running their way as they rushed towards Valerie's room and Robin had scooped the terrified feline up. As Karasuma finished her story, she said, "And I know who killed Miyagi as well. It was Damien."

Doujima wrinkled her nose in confusion and answered, "But he's dead."

"His was the presence I felt. He was the boy in the picture."

"So it was a ghost." Amon stated.

"Not exactly." Robin countered. Everyone looked at her. "Don't you see? Damien's desire to protect his half-sister was so strong that his spirit has willingly trapped itself on this earth through his powers. He could make his body turn into a shadow, remember? Whenever Julia is threatened, he manifests himself as a shadow using his power and takes away whatever is endangering her, then retreats. He's her guardian angel."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMBSA: Ok. So I didn't exactly end it there. My co-writer and me are having "aggressive negotiations" about the ending.

**AnimeReviewer790**: You don't think the twist was too obvious, do you? I mean, you couldn't tell from the beginning that Val was going to be Julia, did you? As for you or your sister.... Hmm. I don't know. On one hand, I'm not about to sacrifice one of my faithful readers to the nefarious Lord Chaos. On the other hand, I'm very much opposed to senseless violence. Wait a second, what am I saying?!?! Hell yeah I'll take your sister! The more bloodshed, the better!!!!!


	7. Right Ride

Soft Light and Shadows

Chapter 7: Right Ride

By: IMBSA

IMBSA: with a broken arm, black eye, and a twisted ankle Like I said in the last chapter, we had a bit of an argument over the way the story should end. winces Well, that's been resolved due to a certain blunt object coming into contact with a certain co-writer's head. self-satisfied smile Anyway, here's the chapter. (P.S.: Get your Kleenexes handy!)

Disclaimer: "I don't know whether to save him or kick his ass."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We should really put her some where." A doctor was saying. "Some place where she's not able to harm herself or others."

"The poor dear." That was Mary speaking. "The Psych Ward?"

"It would have to be." Valerie heard this, but as numb as she was, couldn't process it. It wasn't until a couple of orderlies wheeled a gurney in, Mary holding a full syringe, that Val grasped the concept.

"Don't do anything, Val," the nurse murmured, a pitying look in her eyes.

Valerie's eyes widened as she understood what the hospital staff was trying to do. Horrified, she began backing up toward the window, waving her arms to ward off any attempts to touch her. "Get away from me!" She screamed, green eyes full of fear and apprehension. "Don't touch me! Stay away!" She got closer to the window, so close, that Sakaki decided to intervene. Despite Valerie's repeated warnings, he closed the distance between them and grabbed her lower arm to prevent her from plunging out the window. Valerie screamed loudly, "LET ME GO!!!" and began using her free hand to try and pry his fingers from her twisting limb.

"You're gonna fall!" Sakaki yelled back. Then, he gasped as an ominous shadow rose from Valerie's silhouette on the floor. It slowly began to take the shape of a man and moved threateningly toward Sakaki. Valerie and the rookie could only watch in terrified fascination as it began to engulf the young STN member. Sakaki's free hand clutched at his throat as he gasped for air, but still held on to Valerie's arm. In one swift movement, Robin put her glasses upon her nose, ready to set fire to the thing that endangered Sakaki. _Valerie's protector be damned_, she thought.

Amon, seeing this preparation, put a restraining hand to her shoulder, and commanded, "No." Robin looked up at him, primed to protest, but he said, "We can't do anything."

Making one last desperate attempt to save Sakaki, Valerie wrenched her arm free, falling backwards, through the hospital window. As she tumbled down the three stories, the shadow went with her. Tears fell from her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes, before the ground met her body. Sakaki, who nearly fell out the window himself, could only helplessly watch as the young woman and her dead brother's soul plummeted, as one, to their final resting place. The shadow slowly dissipated as the gray concrete was gradually stained a dark crimson.

---------------------------------------------------------------

No matter how hard he tried, Sakaki couldn't erase the picture of Valerie's pale form, made even paler by death, as it lay on the ground like a priceless statue that had been knocked over on accident and shattered on the floor. He sat in shock on a bench just outside of the hospital entrance, forearms resting on his thighs, hands covering the top of his head when Karasuma sat down beside him.

"Coffee?" She asked, extending a fresh Styrofoam cup of the beverage to him. He shook his head and waved her off. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself." She told him gently.

"I could have saved her," Sakaki replied sullenly. "I could've, and I didn't."

"There was nothing you could have done Sakaki. If she hadn't broken contact with you, you would have _died_. Your Orbo couldn't have saved you. It didn't even react."

"I doubted her so much, and all this time she was telling the truth."

"She thought it was the only way to stop him." The two looked up to see Robin standing beside them. "Don't blame yourself for what's not your fault Sakaki."

"WHAT?!" They heard Doujima's voice echo in the hall. A couple of people, obviously with loved ones in the hospital, looked up to see the blonde storming over to the group of three STN agents. "I can't believe it," she muttered, just loud enough for the others to hear, enticing them to ask. They turned to look at her. "They're taking her to the Factory." She announced. "They want to see _why_ Sakaki's Orbo didn't work." A collective gasp went around the group. Sakaki stared up at Doujima in barely contained horror.

"What?" He sputtered breathlessly. "She's not even a witch's descendent!"

"They wouldn't...." Karasuma began, and then trailed off. Suddenly, a black form jumped into Sakaki's lap. Shini rubbed herself against Sakaki, as if sensing his feelings.

"She loved this cat." Sakaki muttered forlornly, not so much as moving to shoo her away. All three of the STN members began to pet it. Amon made his way over to them. On a sudden impulse, Karasuma stood up in front of Sakaki, blocking from Amon's view Shini. Robin and Doujima also seemed to bend forward to protect the cat from whatever fate Amon came to bestow upon it.

"They want all of her possessions. Do you have any?" Amon asked. They silently shook their heads. Amon's eyes flicked to where Shini lay in Sakaki's arms behind Karasuma, as if he could _see_ Shini. Chopping his head in an affirmative motion, he turned and walked to where the SOLOMON agents waited.

-----------------------------------------------

It was many hours after the incident at the hospital when a gray tabby slunk low to the ground, intent on some kind of prey. The _something_ it was hunting revealed itself to be a black cat. The black one hissed a warning, but the tabby ignored it and pounced like a mini gray tiger. Its hiss was suddenly transformed into a yowl as a force prevented it from coming towards the cat...and then some. Shini walked unsteadily away from the tabby's body, the shadow it cast seeming immense for such a small feline. Wondering where her owner was, Shini went off in search of the answer.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMBSA: And so ends my first multi-chaptered fic. Yay! ::cheers for self:: Anyway. It was a fun and interesting ride, and thanks for having me! I hope you liked it as much as you tell me you do!

**AnimeFreaks13**: Thanks for the encouragement, but I disagree. I think the ending has to have a meaning, just like every death must have a meaning. Speaking of death, I find it very ironic that I complain about how all my fave characters die or go evil or something. Yet, I can't help killing off my characters. I'm addicted! Don't be so hard on your sister. I know how it feels to have all these unfinished stories. Not that I have a lot of those! ::nervously slips a HUGE pile of papers beneath bed with toe. nervous laugh::

**AnimeReviewer790**: Thanks for soothing my worst fears! Well if pinches and bites are "harmless", then I'm perfectly weak! Ya hear that Tommy?!?!?! Come and get me!!!!! ::cough:: Erm, right. Ok, I won't take your sister. Do you have an annoying little kid that runs around the neighborhood that everyone would _love_ to stick hot pokers in, but can't 'cause of legal ramifications? Cause I'll take anything. #(btw, the number sign means singing) ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!# _God_, I've _got_ to stop listening to Drowning Pool.

**AlyssC01**: My second fave reviewer! (AnimeReviewer790 being the honorary first 'cause s/he reviewed first.) How goes life? I _did_ visit another plane of existence for a while. Please remind me to _never, ever, _under _ANY _circumstances whatsoever piss DeathMask off. Hades is so frickin' weird. ::shudders:: (yes, this is another shout out to other Saint Seiya/Knights of the Zodiac fans!) I thank you for the advice. Believe me, it came in handy. -

And to all of you out there, I thank you for reading and reviewing, as well as fanning this little authoress's (yes, I prefer that word) ego. Thankies! -


End file.
